Agents force a former con man to help them nab a corrupt politician.
As a southern governor (Mike Douglas) complains to his associates about their inability to deal with ongoing problems in Dunston County, Irving Greenfield (Jack Weston) from the U.S. Justice Department arrives to tell the governor something he already knows-that all criminal activity in Dunston County is run by "Bama" McCall (Jerry Reed); and something he doesn't know-that McCall grew up with a "moonshiner" named "Gator" McClusky (Burt Reynolds). Gator is recently out of prison on a second offense, and Greenfield, believing that he has returned to making illegal whiskey, wants to arrest and use him to bring down McCall. With his political career on the line if Dunston County is not cleaned up, the governor agrees to cooperate with the federal agent.
A police task force is enlisted to capture Gator at his isolated home in the Okefenokee Swamp. To draw attention away from his hideaway and his father Ned (John Steadman) and daughter Suzie (Lori Futch) who live there, Gator jumps in his speedboat and leads the authorities on a chase. He eludes his pursuers, but returns home to find that his family has been picked up and Greenfield is waiting for him. Greenfield threatens to jail Gator's father for moon-shining and place his daughter in a foster home if he doesn't cooperate.
In Dunston County, Bama McCall visits the Southside Shuffle Disco to collect an "insurance" payment. When the manager tells McCall he cannot make a payment unless he gets authorization from the club's owners in Detroit, McCall leaves-but the disco is soon enveloped in flames.
When Gator and Greenfield arrive in Dunston, Gator drops the government agent at the run-down Pink Palace Hotel to keep him out of sight, and checks himself into a more elegant hotel. Gator catches up with McCall at a political rally for Mayor Caffrey (Dub Taylor), and falls in love at first sight when he catches a glimpse of Aggie Maybank (Lauren Hutton), a local TV reporter. McCall hires Gator as an "insurance" collector-in-training at $400 a week, but protects his interests by asking one of his associates to investigate Gator's background.
When Aggie accuses McCall of arranging to have her documentary series on local poverty canceled, he has her fired, and she threatens to complain to the Civil Liberties Union. As he becomes increasingly disenchanted, Gator wants to quit McCall's organization, but the criminal boss suggests they have a drink and talk it over. McCall tells his henchman, "Bones," (William Engesser), a towering giant standing over seven-feet tall, to make the drinks strong-a signal to spike Gator's drink with "yellows." Gator tells McCall that he can get the state to settle up on his back taxes for $20,000, instead of the $65,000 he owes-and then he can give up his operation. However, McCall does not intend to change his ways. Before Gator passes out, McCall assures him that he will not be hurt, and when he awakens from his stupor, he will be in a car outside the county line pointed toward home.
At a local bar, Greenfield is recognized by a Dunston cop, who reports him to McCall. When Greenfield leaves the bar, McCall's henchmen, Bones and "Smiley," (Burton Gilliam) accost him.
In the morning, Gator awakens in his car, but returns to Dunston County instead of following McCall's instructions. Gator arrives at the hospital to discover that Greenfield has been severely beaten. Aggie Maybank, accompanied by her camera crew, asks him if Greenfield is a federal agent, but Gator insists that Greenfield works for a company that manufactures a feminine hygiene spray-rendering the interview unfit for broadcasting. Maybank persists, and Gator helps her get an interview with Greenfield. She tells the federal agent that a woman named Emmeline Cavanaugh (Alice Ghostley) has shown her proof of McCall's tax evasion.
As Gator and Maybank get into Gator's car, Smiley accosts them. Gator grabs his pistol, rolls up the car window to trap the would-be attacker, and races away with the man dangling from the side of the car-then dumps him in the hospital parking lot. When Bones attempts to aid Smiley, Gator drives at him. Bones lands atop Gator's car, and crashes to the ground when Gator deliberately hits a parked vehicle.
At Emmeline's house, she explains McCall's practice of keeping two sets of books. She offers to help Gator and Maybank copy the files, but insists on taking her pet cats along. Using keys Emmeline has copied, they break into the county courthouse at night. As they examine the books, the night watchman sets off a burglar alarm. Gator and his conspirators grab the account books and escape in a police car. He telephones Greenfield, who, despite his condition, tells Gator to meet him at the hospital emergency entrance. Outside, McCall's thugs try to grab Greenfield, but Gator arrives and rescues him. When the cops inform McCall that Gator has the account books, McCall resolves to kill him.
Gator, Greenfield, Aggie, and Emmeline hide at a summer beach house belonging to Aggie's uncle. Romance develops when Gator and Aggie go to the beach to gather firewood, and while they are away, a parallel relationship blossoms between Emmeline and Greenfield. In the morning, as Gator and Aggie leave to find a pay telephone and alert federal agents, McCall and his men arrive at the beach house. McCall shoots Greenfield, kidnaps Emmeline, and sets fire to the account books. Emmeline is killed when she rushes back into the house to save her cats. When Gator and Aggie return, firemen and police surround the house, so they sneak away to a beach side motel.
Gator telephones federal agents, and then contacts Bama McCall to ask for $2,000 and a plane ticket home in exchange for incriminating documents. McCall tells Gator the documents have been destroyed, but Gator assures him that his men did not burn everything. McCall agrees to Gator's terms. Gator rigs a primitive bomb by creating a leak in the motel room gas heater and connecting a table lamp to the door with a piece of string.
After Aggie and Gator leave, McCall and Bones arrive at the motel. As Bones opens the door, the lamp crashes to the floor. Bones fires his gun, hitting the heater and exploding the gas. McCall pulls a driver out of her pickup truck and attempts to get away, but Gator dives into the truck bed as it leaves the parking lot. Forcing McCall to crash, Gator chases him across the beach, fighting as they crash through a series of closed-for-the-season beach side concession stands. Federal agents arrive in a helicopter as Gator finally subdues McCall.
When Gator meets Aggie at her house the next day, her story is on the national news and she has been offered a network job in New York City. Gator invites Aggie to meet his daughter, but she suggests they go their separate ways. Although they love each other, they come from different worlds.
